Bubble cap



BUBBLE GAP Filed July 11, 1942 Patented June 1,1943

* UNITED STATES "PATEN T OFFICE BUBBLE CAP Frank J. Kerrigan, Winchester, Mass. Application July 11, 1942, Serial No. 450,579

6 Claims. '(01. 261-114) This invention relates to improvements in bubble caps or bell caps which are customarily used in liquid-gas contact equipment such as fractionating columns, scrubbers, and the like used in the distillation processes of petroleum oils, coal tar, alcohol and other chemicals.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved form of bubble cap assembly which may be readily installed in position and which permits removal of the bubble cap for cleaning or adjustment of the vertical spacing of the cap with respect to the tray without disturbing the riser or chimney or the means for fixing the riser in place.

More specifically it is an object of my invention to provide a riser or chimney seated in an opening of a bubble tray having a sealing flange and gasket, to engage the underside of the tray and provided with lugs adapted to be engaged by a locking ring surrounding and relatively rotatable with respect to the riser, the locking ring being associated with supporting posts bearing on the top surface of the bubble plate and adjustable to move the locking ring and riser upwardly with respect to the tray thereby sealing the riser, the supporting posts also providing a mounting for l the removable bubble cap which covers the riser.

' Further objects and advantages of my improvements will be more readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a bubble cap column tray showing a single bubble cap in position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the bubble cap assembly taken on the plane indicated 22 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated 3-3 in Fig. 2.

When the chimnevor riser is removably installed as disclosed herein. means must be provided to securely hold the chimney in position and to make a gas-tight seal between the riser and the plate. I provide a locking ring 20 which has a; plurality of inwardly directed lugs 22 adapted to engage beneath corresponding lugs 24 formed on the exterior surface of the cylindrical riser M. It will be understood that the lugs 25 are relatively short and do not interfere with the assembly of the riser upwardly through the opening l2 from the bottom of the plate II). The inwardly directed lugs 22 of the ring 20 are provided with threaded openings 26 to receive the reduced threaded ends 28 of thevertical supporting posts 30. Each of the posts 30 is provided with an opening 32 to receive a tool by which the post may be turned with respect to the ring 20. The lower threaded ends of' the posts '30 extend through the lugs 22 of the ring 20 and bear upon the top surface of the plate Hi. It willbe evident that turning of the posts 30 will raise the ring 20 and force the chimney I4 upwardly to make a tight seal with the underside of the plate Ill.

The upper ends 35 of the posts 30 are reduced in diameter with respect to the body of the posts The usual bubble plate or bubble tray is indicated at I0. In accordance with customary practice the plate I0 is formed with a plurality of circular openings, one of which is indicated at I2. A cylindrical chimney or vapor riser pipe I4 is assembled with respect to the opening 12 in the plate Ill. The riser I4 is provided at its lower end with a flange l6 which seats against the under side of the plate l0 around the opening l2. A gasket [8 may be used to make a gastight seal. Risers of this type are sometimes permanently fixed in position by welding or otherwise, but in order to permit removal and replacement it is preferable to eliminate any permanent attachment of the riser to the plate.

thereby providing shoulders 36 forming seats for spacing collars 33. A bubble cap 40 is mounted on the posts 30. The cap 40 is provided with bosses 42 which seat on the spacing collars 38.

The cap 30 is fixed in position by securing nuts 44 to the threaded portions 46 at the upper ends of the posts 30. The depending annular skirt portion 48 of the cap to may be formed with the usual slots 50 forming fingers to finely divide the gas bubbles. Similarly the ring 20 may be provided with 51065 52 forming fingers facing the fingers of the cap 40. It will be understood that the liquid level of the bubble plate will be maintained just below the tops of the risers. The gas vapors which pass upwardly through the riser will be caused to fiow downwardly through the liquid and outwardly from beneath the bubble cap. The fingers formed by the slots or serrations in the cap and ring will serve to finely divide the gas bubbles and ensure complete contact between the gas and the liquid.

The cap may be readily adjusted vertically with respect to the plate by the proper selection of the collars or ferrules 38. It will be understood that one advantage of the particular construction disbubble cap. If it is desired to remove the riser, the posts 30 will be loosened and the ring 20 turned to release the lugs whereupon the ring with the posts carried thereby can be removed. The riser H can then be driven out of its seat in the plate Hi. When the risers are initially installed they are made gas-tight by attaching the locking ring and adjustment of the posts. The column may then be tested for leaks before assembly of the bubble caps. It should also be noted that the vertical passage through the riser is free of obstruction and will not clog up as is the case where a single central bolt is used as the securing means.

I claim:

1. A bubble cap assembly adapted to cover a opening in a bubble plate comprising a riser fitted in the opening of the plate, said riser having a sealing flange to engage the underside of the plate, a plurality of rotatable posts positioned around the riser and bearing on the top surface of the plate, means in threaded engagement with said posts and engageable with the outer side of said riser below the top thereof to fix the riser in seated position and tighten the seal between the flange and the underside of the plate and a bubble cap removably carried by the upper ends of said P sts.

2. A bubble cap assembly adapted to cover an opening in a plate comprising a riser seated in said opening having a flange to engage the underside of said plate around said opening, a ring surrounding said riser, a plurality of vertical posts threaded in said ring and rotatably adjustable to fix the position of said ring with respect to said plate, means for locking the ring to the riser, a bubble cap covering said riser mounted on said posts. and means for removably securing said cap -to said posts.

3. A bubble cap assembly adapted to cover an opening in a plate comprising a riser fitted into said opening from the underside of the plate, a sealing flange on said riser adapted to engage the undersideof the plate around the opening, a plurality of short lugs on the exterior of said riser,

a ring adapted to fit over the top of the riser, said ringhaving inwardly directed lugs movable to engage the underside of the lugs on the riser, a plurality of posts in threaded engagement with said ring and bearing on the top surface oi. the plate, a bubble cap having openings to receive the upper ends of the posts, replaceable collars on said postson which the bubble cap seats and means to hold the bubble cap in'position.

4. A bubble cap assembly adapted to cover an opening in a plate comprising a cylindrical riser having a sealing flange to engage the underside of said plate and an unobstructed open upper end, a ring surrounding the riser and upwardly engageable therewith, means for raising said ring with respect to said 'plate to force the riser upwardly and seal the opening in the plate, and a bubble cap mounted to cover said riser.

5. A bubble cap assembly adapted to cover an opening in a plate comprising a cylindrical riser having a sealing flange to engage the underside of said plate and an unobstructed open upper end, a ring surrounding the riser and upwardly engageable therewith, means for raising said ring with respect to said plate to force the riser upwardly and seal the opening in the plate, and a bubble cap mounted to cover said riser, said bubble cap and ring having annular marginal edges facing towards each other slotted to finely divide the gas bubbles.

6. A bubble cap assembly 'adapted to cover an opening in a plate comprising a cylindrical riser having a sealing flange to engage the underside of said plate and an unobstructed open upper end, a ring surrounding the riser and upwardly engageable therewith, means for raising said ring with respect to said plate to force the riser upwardly and seal the opening in the plate, a bubble cap mounted to cover said riser, said bubble cap and ring having annular marginal edges facing towards each other slotted to finely divide the gas bubbles, and means for adjusting the position of the bubble cap with respect to said ring.

- .FRANK J. KERRIGAN. 

